Japan Nuggets

Real men don’t wear handbags? Come to Tokyo and think again.

During my first few weeks in Tokyo, it threw my gender stereotypes upside down. Japanese men carrying handbags: crossbody bags, clutches, shopping bags, messenger bags – you name it.

And not only the young, fashionable types – men of all ages and walks of life carry handbags. A sleek crossbody on a hip twenty-something. A practical shopping bag on the shoulder of a man in his fifties. Casual. Normal.

Whether designer brands or no-name, leather or fabric – they mostly look good and reflect something deeply Japanese: the blend of fashion, aesthetics, and practicality.

What’s practical is accepted. The question is not who should wear something but whether it looks good and works in daily life.

And daily life in Tokyo means walking a lot, using public transport and carrying essentials such as phones, keys, wallets, sanitizer, and the omnipresent tenugui – a small cotton hand towel to dry hands in public restrooms or wipe sweat in summer.

This helps explain why men carrying bags feels normal in big cities, even if it’s less common in rural areas or smaller towns.

Maybe history also plays a role in why Japanese men are comfortable carrying bags. Traditional men’s kimonos didn’t have pockets, so men used small pouches (kinchaku) to carry their belongings.

Does this mean Japanese men are less masculine?

Not really. Masculinity just shows up differently in Japan than in Western countries. It’s usually less loud or in your face, so carrying a bag isn’t seen as ‘feminine’ or ‘unmanly’ the way it may be in Western culture.

To me, Japanese men with handbags are trendsetters – proof that style and function can go hand in hand.

I wouldn’t be surprised if this catches on in Europe and the United States once men decide they no longer want to ruin their pants by stuffing them with ever-growing phones, keys and wallets.

Did you know?

• In medieval Europe, men carried purses and satchels for coins and letters—sometimes so ornate they were status symbols.
• Celebrities like David Beckham, Pharrell Williams and Harry Styles have helped popularize handbags for men, making them more accepted as part of modern menswear.
• In fantasy novels like The Lord of the Rings or The Name of the Wind, and movies like Star Wars, many male characters carry pouches or small satchels—mirroring the historical tradition and foreshadowing the future.

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